Eleven countries in the Security Council call on the Taliban to “lift all repressive measures” against women

On Friday, 11 members of the UN Security Council called on the Taliban to lift “all repressive measures” against women in Afghanistan, on the sidelines of a closed-door meeting to discuss the situation in the country.

“We call on the Taliban to abolish all repressive measures against women and girls,” said Japanese Ambassador Ishikani Kimihiro, speaking on behalf of the 11 members.

These states call on the Taliban to “respect the rights of women and girls and their full, equal and meaningful participation and inclusion in all spheres of society, from politics and economics to education and public space.”

The declaration specifically refers to the exclusion of women and girls from schools and universities, and the ban on the employment of women by local and international NGOs.

Because of this latest measure, the announcement said, “NGOs will not be able to reach people, especially women and girls, who are in dire need of vital materials and services.”

Several humanitarian organizations decided to suspend their activities due to this ban, which was announced by the Taliban government on December 24. However, the United Nations decided to continue its operations.

The signatories to Friday’s declaration stressed that “the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan must remain at the top of the Security Council’s agenda.”

This comes while the Security Council was holding a closed meeting to discuss the situation in this country.

“Today we will discuss a unified international response to the actions of the Taliban,” British Ambassador Barbara Woodward said on Twitter before the meeting began. “Our goal is to prevent a slide into a humanitarian catastrophe and to reverse the ban imposed on women and girls,” she added.